Drive arm assembly



A. MUSSCHOOT ETAL 2,644,344

July 7, 1953 DRIVE ARM ASSEMBLY 4 sheets sneet 1 Original Filed Reb. 4, 1949 a? m 0 J m M a n x m A 0 0 Mwm vi M r S l. M F- Jmfl mm i A. MUSSCHOOT EI'AL 2,644,344

July 7, 1953 DRIVE ARM ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Feb. 4, 1949 m m w m .Y N MO Wm Y MW m R 4 M 9 B July 7, 1953 A. MUSSCHOOT ETAL 2,644,344

DRIVE ARM ASSEMBLY Original Filed Feb. 4, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 WM fivb ATTORNEY Patented July 7, 1953 DRIVE AR ASSEMBLY Albert Musschoot, Park Ridge, Richard F. Bergmann, Winnetka, and Charles M. Young, Jr., Chicago, Ill., assignors to Link-Belt Company,

a corporation of Illinois Original application February 4,1949, Serial-No. 74,504. Divided and this application December 6, 1950, Serial N'{199,538 y I invention relates to new and useful improve'ments in drive' arm" assemblies, and deals more-specifically with such assemblies adapted for driving oscillating conveyors, feeders and screens. This is a division of the application of Albert. Musschoot, Richard F. Bergmann and Charles Xoung, Jr., Serial No. 74,504, filed' February 4, 1949, for Positive Drive Oscillating Conveyor. v l

It has been found in present practice that the frequencyof vibration and length of stroke desirable "in oscillating. devices for conveying, feedmg or screening materials are such that conventional" drive arm assemblies cannot practically meet the required standards for satisfactory performance. .The'shock of overcoming the inertia forces of the oscillating body is too great for such assemblies to withstand in any but the relatively small capacity units.

It is .the primary object of this invention to provide a drive arm assembly .that will absorb the shock or impact stresses developed by' the inertia forces in Oscillating masses that are driven thereby. l

A further object of the invention is to provide a drive arm assembly having a plurality of points adapted for connection to each of the driving and driven devices.

1 A further object of the invention is to provide a fabricated drive arm which is designed espeeiall'y for use in the drive mechanism of cillating conveyors, feeders, or the like.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a drive arm assembly having a plurality of-adjustable bearingsurfaces for establishing and maintaining a fitted pivotal connection I between the [assembly and the driven device to.

prevent relative linear movement therebetween and toeliminate the impact stresses which would result from such movements.

Other objects and advantages of the invention. will be apparent during the course of the following description. V

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, V

Figure l is a side'elevational view of the drive- (claims. (01. 74--588)/ i 2 I. Figure 1 4 is a. detail plan view, partly broken away, of the drive arm of the assembly illusated in -lfl n i V c.

Figure 5' is a longitudinal sectional view taken online 5-;5 of Fig. 4, V

Fig ure 6 is a detail sectional View takenon line 66 of Fig.4, and

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view taken online In the drawings, wherein for the purpose "of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, and first particularly referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, thereferencecharacter 8'des'- ignates the base of an oscillating conveyor. 'A motor base plate 9 and a drive base plate [0 rest upon and are suitably connected to the tops of" the I-beams of the said base 8. The edges of 'the plates 9 andlflbetween the I-beams are flanged downwardly to strengthen the plates.

A- plurality-of longitudinally spaced housings H are connected to the top of-the base 8for mountingthe lower ends of the supporting arms l2 which are connected at their upper ends-t0 the oscillative conveyor trough l3. I

As illustratedinFigs. -l and 3, arms [2 locatednearest the drive base plate 1B are pivotallyconnected-to a transverse drive at. tachment plate 14 or the trough, 13. The trough is formed of longitudinally arranged side channel beams. 15, which areconnectedto the driveattachment plate M in spaced back-toeback rela. tionship by bolts l8,,a nd additional, alined channel beamslficonhected by tie plates I! to the channel beams L5, In other Words, the channel beams l5 and i6 are arranged to form the two substantially continuous side beams of the trough l3. A trough-shaped pan l 9 is positioned be tween the backs or the channel beams 15 and i6 andis suitably connected thereto by the bolts 2i). The "pan lq' rests upon but is not connected to] the driv elattachment plate Hi. This pan is formed o'f any' desired number of alined sections and each section is provided at its ends with downwardly fianged portions 2| forconnection to thenext adjacent sections by the bolts 22. 7

Referring now to the several figures, and f rst to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, for a detail description of the driving mechanismior theoscillative trough l3, bearing housings 23 are mounted on the drive base plate In to. receive the self -alining roller bearings 24' which in turn support the drive shaft 25' near each of its end portions. These shaft portions extend beyond the outer sides of the housings "23 for mounting the drive sheave 26 on one and the flywheel-2'! on the other. The outer the supporting and inner sides of the housings are closed by the seal plates 28 and 29, respectively. It is noted that the drive sheave 26 and the flywheel 21 are keyed to their respective end portions of the shaft 25 and that plates are employed to, prevent accidental disconnection of these elements.

A limited amount of adjustment of the transverse alinement of the bearing housings 23 is provided by the lugs 3| and cap screws 32 associated with the drive base plate Ill, see Figs. 1 and 2. This adjustment is made possible by the clearance that is provided for the bolts 33 which mount the bearing housings 23 on' the base plate Roller bearings 34 are mounted on the shaft portions 35 which are eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft in the bearings 24. A drive arm 36 is mounted on the middle portion of the drive shaft 25 by the tubular casing 31 which has its enlarged annular ends 38 fitted over the outer races of the roller bearings 34. These enlarged ends 38am closed outwardly of the bearings 34 by the seal plates 39.

As is'illustrated in Figs. 4 through '7, inclusive, the enlarged ends 38 of the driving arm casing 31 are suitably connected to the side flanges 40 which in turn are connected by a web plate 4| extending therebetween. At the outer end portion of the driving arm 36 the side flanges 40 extend beyond the web plate 4| and each have a pair of split clamps 42 welded to opposite sides thereof in concentric relation to a transverse opening formed in the flange. The flanges 40 are split radially in axial alinement with the splits in the clamps 42 so that bolts 43, passed through holes formed in the spaced ends of the clamps, may be tightened to reduce the cross-sectional area of the openings formed in the clamps 42 and the ends of the flanges 4D.

A split bushing 44, having oil grooves 45 therein, is inserted into each one of the alined openings formed in the flanges 40 and clamps 42. Set screws 46 are employed to prevent the bushings from turning relative to the clamps. The outer clamp 42 on each side of the drive arm 35 is provided with a plurality of tapped holes ,41 for receiving the cap screws 48 to fasten .a plate 49 across the opening through the clamp.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 disclose a pair of parallel plates v 50 rigidly connected to the bottom surface of the drive attachment plate 14. Two angle irons 5| are connected to the transverse edges of the drive,-

attachment plate I4 and depend therefrom for connection to the ends of the parallel plates, 50.,

Each of the plates has detachably connected thereto a clamping element 52 by means of the bolts 53 for fastening a connecting pin 54 to the bottom of the drive attachment plate [4. The ends of the connecting pin 54 extend outwardly from the plates 5!] and the clamping elements 52, and are received in the bushings 44 at the outer end portions of the driving arm 36. The bushings 44 are contracted around the end portions of the connecting pin 54 by tightening the bolts 43 so that only pivotal movement is permitted between the pin and the drive arm.

Proper positioning of the connecting pin 54 screws 56, therefore, will move the drive attachment plate relative to the channel beams 15.

Figs. 1 and 2 show a unitary drive, consisting of a motor 5! and a traction type fluid coupling unit 58, suitably adjustably.niountedonthe motor base plate 9. A drive sheave 59 is suitably fastened to the shaft of the fluid coupling 58, and V.-be1ts 50 drivingly connect this sheave 59 to the sheave 2B.

When the shaft 25 is rotated in its fixed bearings 24, the eccentric portions 35 of the shaft are caused to travel a circular path about the axis of rotation of the shaft. This movement of the portions 35 is transmitted through the bearings 34 to the drive arm 36 to impart oscillatory motion to the conveyor trough I 3.

The fluid coupling unit 58 functions to gradually apply the starting torque load to the motor 51. This gradual application of the maximum starting torque reduces the power requirements for the motor 51 and thereby permits the use of a smaller horsepower motor. The fluid coupling unit 58 further acts to prevent the transmission, of shock forces from the oscillating and rotating parts through the transmission mechanism and into the motor 51.

The flywheel 21 functions to reduce any fluctuations in the speed of rotation of the drive shaft 25 and to substantially counterbalance .the tor.- sional forces transmitted to the drive shaft by the drive arm 36.

It is to be understood that the form of the -in-..

vention, herewith shown and described, is, to be taken as the preferred example of the same, and

- that various changes in the shape, size and 311".-

rangement of parts may be resorted without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subj oined claims.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

1. A drive arm assembly, comprising a pair of side flanges each of said side flanges being re,- versely bent to provideend portions arranged in parallel planes, a web connecting the side flanges with the respective end portions of the side flanges arranged in parallelism and spaced different distances at the opposite ends of the assembly, a tubular casing connected to said web and to the end portions of said flanges which are spaced thegreater distance, the end portions of said flanges which are spaced the lesser distance each having a transverse opening therethrough, and two annular members mounted one on each side. of each ing openings registering with the enlarged annular end portions of said casing, the end portions of said flanges at the other end of said assembly each having a transverse opening therethrough,

and a pair of annular clamping membersmounted on each of said flanges on opposite sides thereof with the openings in said annular members in alinement with the said transverse openings in;

the side flanges.

3. A drive arm assembly, comprising a tubularcasing having enlarged annular end portions, an

antifriction bearing mounted in each-of, said endl portions, a side flange connected: to each en.-

larged end portion of the casing, said side flanges extending radially from the casing with their outer end portions arranged in spaced parallelism,

alined bearing means attached to-the said parallel end portions of the side flanges, and a strengthening Web extending between and fastened to the enlarged end portions of said casing, the side flanges and the alined bearing means.

4. A drive arm assembly, comprising a drive shaft adapted to be journaled at its end portions in fixed bearings and having an eccentric portion inwardly of and adjacent each journaled end portion, a tubular casing, having enlarged an nular end portions, mounted on the drive shaft, antifriction bearings fitted in the enlarged end portions or the tubular casing and on the said 15 eccentric portions of the drive shaft, a side flange connected to each enlarged end portion of the casing, said side flanges extending radially from the casing With their outer end portions arranged in spaced parallelism, alined bearing means attached to the said parallel end portions of the side flanges, a strengthening Web extending between and fastened to the casing and the side flanges, and a connecting pin journaled in said alined bearing means.

ALBERT MUSSCI-IOOT.

RICHARD F. BERGMANNL CHARLES M. YOUNG, JR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,263,608 Schaefer Apr. 23, 1918 1,355,261 Pribil Oct. 12, 1920 2,120,016 Bugatti June 7, 1938 2,246,438

Dillon June 17, 1941 

